The Glass House         Santa, Idaho

This house was designed for a Glass Artist. The client’s vision was to build a building which best reflects the art of glass and be worthy of housing such work. He also sees the house as an open pavilion with defined, but not necessarily enclosed spaces. The site is secluded on a cliff overlooking the St. Marries River surrounded by Idaho mountains. Inspiration for this project fell on shards of glass. The molecular structure of glass is random at best, but when many pieces of glass are examined, they begin to follow the same movements in form. Program specifics are a studio, show room, large great room to accommodate 20 people, and a small living space with all the needs of the regular home. The approximately square footage is about 2000 square feet. 

                                                                                                                                                                          

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The High Line         New York City

 

The High Line was designed for the freight train. It is an elevated rail way that slices through the urban fabric of New York and connects 22 blocks. It used to run freight trains 24 hours a day carrying cargo back and forth and through buildings dropping off goods and supplies. As better means of transportation became affordable in the 1950’s, the High Line soon became decommissioned and sections of it torn down. Today, non profit organizations have stopped the demolition and have been striving to integrate the High Line’s dynamic character back into the city. The challenge for this project was bringing the public onto the High Line and pulling the public off of the sidewalks below. How would you make the entrance inviting? What would drive the public to want to go see whatever was on top of the High Line? Ultimately, the question to answer was: what did the city of New York need that the High Line could provide?

                                                                                                                                                                          

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fire Station         Spokane, Washington

The masonry competition called for a unique and innovative execution of masonry by any means necessary. The possibilities were endless, but the judges needed to be convinced that the application of masonry had not been pre-conceived and was on the cutting edge of new design. Taiji Miyasaka, my studio professor, wanted the class to follow the parameters of the competition, but to also design a building that had possibilities of being conceived in the real world. He wanted us to pay close attention to the use of natural materials, the public, details, and site use. The city of spokane had planned for the development of a fire station on this site. However, the winning designs would not be of any influence to the city’s future plans of a fire station.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spokane High Rise         Spokane, Washington 

 

The tallest building in Spokane is about 240 feet tall and not many other buildings follow suit. The intention for this project was to design a high rise building that fit the context of Spokane. Since Spokane does not have many high rise buildings, there was an opportunity to re-invent the way a tall building performed in both program and exterior functions. Particular attention was paid to interior experience and inhabitant interactions. The large interior atrium ties the building together by allowing the inhabitant to be aware of the amount of space that is either above or below them. It also lets the inhabitant observe the activities taking place on the interior court yard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capture Movement         Seattle, Washington

 

..how could they see anything but the shadows if they were never allowed to move their heads ?
                                                              Plato: The Allegory of the Cave, from The Republican
Does a condition exist in Seattle that the every day individual does not see ? Is there a level of perception that is not being seen ?

A condition could be a circumstance, the state that something exits, creation, hardship, or advancement. The term condition is completely open to interpretation, but centers on what could be most relevant to what a city is. Is the city something, or is it part of something else? Is it anything at all? Instead of is it something, does it do anything? When that question is asked, the city is no longer a noun, it has become a verb, an action or cycle.

During the process, my awareness of the city is a whole new position, a type of perspective that is not influenced by history, or previous idea. It is a point of view that is new, fresh, innovative, and original.